The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 93: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MESQUITE RANCH. felt tenderer toward her, realizing that her maternal devotion had a depth he had not suspected. She did not dream that he was. being married by Bess - Hetherington for the money she was securing for him. He was in the absurd position which the world dictates so positively. It de- manded that he stick to his bad bargain, so long as Bess wished it. Impelled by a last desperate wish to tell Natalie exactly how things were, hoping that one little evidence of her own desire that he should would give him excuse for breaking with Bess, and thereby acquire the position of dishonor that his world would open to him, he started back toward the Stone House. He had been in the saddle almost con- tinuously for a day and a night, part of the time with a strained leg to add to the difficulties of his riding. But he plodded along, groaning occasionally, dreading the growing heat and staring wearily toward the direction of the Stone House long before he could hope to see it. His thoughts were confused. His head was throbbing—and the blood seemed to jump in hot spurts through his body. But he meant to see Natalie. He meant to tell how he had believed his engagement a matter easy to settle, that he had regarded it as virtually ended when he told her of his love, that he had not dreamed of hurting her, that he loved her better than his life and his mother and money and Bess. He reached the butte and leit his horse, then climbed up the trail toward the Stone House along the route that Sykes had used. It was almost more than he could do—but he gritted his teeth and persisted. Two hours later Alice came to the door to shut it against the heat. She saw him lying there in the grilling sun, face downward. She ran out and saw the red face of the man she had hoped never to encounter again. He mumbled and lifted his dull eyes to hers with recognition. She had no choice. Humanity dic- 795 tated and she must obey. She called Natalie. For a second the little girl stood in the doorway, looking at ‘the man. Then she ran to him with an in- effable look and gesture that struck despair to the heart of Alice Thorpe. If she had been able to encourage a doubt that Natalie was only transiently interested in Radford, it was dispelled by the look and the hungry, eager little hands that tried to pillow his head from resting on the hot stone. Radford would not move. He was deaf even to Natalie’s voice. They tried again and again to get him out of the sun which was doing its best to kill him. Miss Thorpe looked at him with pro- fessional but hopeless eyes. Natalie read the glance. A moment more she was in and out of the-house with an umbrella which she pushed into Alice’s hand, then sped along the trail toward the spring. She came back with Silsby and Big Red. They got him inside. Red told of the struggle to save the steers in which he must have hurt his leg. For three days they fought with fever and the cruel strain in the leg. The cow- boys carried the cold water from the spring with which Alice managed gradually to reduce the fever. silsby was with Ted when he sudden- ly sat up in bed, apparently as rational as ever. He wrote out the wire which Radford said had to go Fast at once, I love some one TED. He was especially careful about the address and insisted that Silsby himself take the message into Pifion at once. As the ranchman went out of the room Radford sank into a stupor which did not change for days. But the wire went East to Bess. But Alice had sent word to Dr. Strat- ton that Ted was ill, so dangerously ill that his mother and his fiancée ought to be in readiness to come in response to the next message she would send if things had not decidedly changed for the better. Can’t marry you. else. COPMICGLOOOKS (C@)